1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly pertains to an arm and hand support device which is designed to control the direction of movement of a jogger's arms so as to reduce upper torso twisting forces and to improve the posture of the jogger while running.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of jogging as a preferred method of exercise for many people, there has come to light a number of problems associated with jogging for which no solutions have been offered to date. One such problem has been how to train or assist a jogger to run or walk in a proper upright position. In this respect, an upright position is the best posture for affording the greatest freedom and ease of movement, and essentially requires the jogger to keep his back as straight as naturally possible. Further, the jogger's head should be substantially aligned with his back so that it is neither forward or back of the body line. Additionally, the jogger's buttocks should be effectively "tucked in" in a manner whereby a hypothetical line drawn from the top of the jogger's head through his shoulders and hips would be substantially straight, or nearly so.
By the same token, a jogger's arm movements provide a rhythm which assists him in his running, and in the proper position, the jogger's elbows should be bent slightly away from the body, neither out like wings nor pressed to the chest, and should move forward and backward in a straight, piston-like movement.
In this connection, most joggers cannot maintain proper posture and arm movement while jogging. Some joggers attempt to imitate a military brace, i.e., throwing back their shoulders and sticking out their chest; however, this produces muscle aches between the shoulder blades and some discomfort in the lower back which results in a loss of energy, as well as producing fatigue and a contraction of a whole series of back muscles. Further, this swayback posture is extremely uncomfortable, unattractive and non-conductive to good jogging habits.
Along the same line of reasoning, most joggers do not have any conception of equilibrium, which in the present case refers to the state of balance between opposing forces generated by a movement of their bodies. Specifically, if a jogger does not maintain his arms in proper position while running, a improper equilibrium will occur which may result in rapid fatigue. Some imbalance in equilibrium is to be expected when a jogger has his arms either raised or lowered in a manner whereby they develop an inward-outward, upward-downward thrust. Effectively, this movement of the arms creates a twisting or centrifugal force which distorts the posture of the body, thus tending to cause the jogger's body to "flop" about in different directions. This, of course, breaks the rhythm of the jogging, and the runner finds his arms and shoulders begin to ache because of muscular contraction. As such, the jogger is compelled to compensate for the fatique by lowering his arms to his hips and reducing his jogging speed to a slow walk. Because of this type of experience, many potential joggers become depressed and give up running after only a few attempts. Accordingly, it can be appreciated that a need exists for some means of maintaining proper arm movement, posture and equilibrium while running. This need is substantially met by the present invention.